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Plácido Domingo Joins Cast of City Opera Reunion Concert

Monday, February 10, 2014 - 05:00 PM

The cast for a concert celebrating the 70th anniversary of New York City Opera's first performance just got a bit more star-studded. Organizers said on Monday that Plácido Domingo has signed on to the event, which is scheduled for Feb. 21 at City Center and will feature a number of past singers with the company.

Domingo made his New York debut with City Opera in 1965 as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. He went on to sing at the Metropolitan Opera and other major houses, not to mention arenas and soccer stadiums (five days after this concert, he is scheduled to sing in the Met's revival of The Enchanted Island).

The concert, which will feature repertoire closely associated with City Opera's history, is being staged by musicians from the now-bankrupt company. Proceeds will go towards the an Emergency Relief Fund run by their union, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. The cast also includes Amy Burton, Lauren Flanigan, Joélle Harvey, Tonna Miller, Jennifer Rivera, Heather Johnson, Ryan MacPherson and Sidney Outlaw. Tickets are priced from $25 to $250.

Meanwhile, New York City Opera’s Chapter 11 case is continuing. The Wall Street Journalreported on Friday that the company has requested permission to reject the lease agreement for its thrift store located at 220 E. 23rd St.

"City Opera had hoped to find a buyer for the thrift shop, which it’s operated for 25 years, but has been unable to reach an agreement,” according to the Journal. “It’s planning to liquidate the shop, including the inventory."

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan is scheduled to hear the request on Thursday.

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Brian Wise covers the classical music business for WQXR, including aspects of performance, technology, philanthropy and institutional trends. He produces the Café Concerts series and the podcast/show Conducting Business. He manages the station's homepage and makes sure what you hear on air is what you see online. Follow him on Twitter at @Briancwise.

Comments [5]

Ruth Conner
from New York, NY

I love Mr. Domingo as much as everyone else seems to. And it's great to help the musicians. But the main issue is NYCO and how this horrible bankruptcy has unfolded. I subscribed to NYCO for 30 years. Today, I (and many others of my age and tastes) can scarcely afford a ticket to the Met; lower-priced opera options are very few. (Live in HD is nice, but it's no substitute for live performance.) The whole situation paints a frightful picture of culture starvation in NYC.

This concert and its intentions certainly are all to the good and I hope a lot of money is raised. Whether it will be exclusively a salute to Auld Lang Syne or also a harbinger of a Phoenix about to rise from the ashes remains to be seen.

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Operavore is WQXR's digital 24/7 audio stream, blog and weekly radio show devoted to Opera. The Operavore blog features breaking news, expert commentary and reviews by writers Fred Plotkin, David Patrick Stearns and Amanda Angel. The stream features a continuous, carefully programmed mix of classic and contemporary opera recordings. The Operavore radio show on WQXR, features opera news bulletins from the around the globe, previews of new recordings, and interviews with the players and personalities on the scene.